Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
DESIGNED TO KILL
Bomb left at school gates was ‘sizeable’ says top cop
A BOMB left at the gates of a school was “sizeable” and would have killed anyone nearby if it went off, a senior police officer warned yesterday. The device was placed at Holy Cross Boys School in the Ardoyne area of North Belfast, sparking a security alert which saw around 20 homes in Herbert Street evacuated in the early hours. Chief Supt Chris Noble said officers “responding to suspicious activity” found the device “right at the gates”. He added: “It was left in such a reckless manner and in such a reckless location that it would undoubtedly have led to the death or serious injury of a member of the public had it exploded anywhere near them.” Chief Supt Noble said if children going back to school today or young people in the area on Saturday evening had of picked the bomb up “it would have been beyond life-changing, it would have been life-ending”. He would not go into details about the type of device but said it was “significant and sizeable”. A number of controlled explosions were carried out and it was made safe before being removed for forensic examination. It is understood it had been left at Brookfield Street, off Herbert Street. It is unclear how long the bomb had been there before it was discovered. The police are blaming “violent dissident republicans” for the foiled attack. The alert began around midnight, with many families evacuated from their homes. Some had to go to the Houben Centre in the grounds of Holy Cross Church. Sinn Fein MLA for the area Gerry Kelly said the bomb was designed to kill. He added: “I condemn it outright. Those behind it have no regard whatsoever for this community and they need to end these futile acts. “I welcome the fact this device was found before it killed or injured somebody and anyone with information should bring it to the PSNI.” Police Federation for Northern Ireland chair Mark Lindsay, said those behind the attack wanted to murder or maim officers. He added: “They didn’t care if passersby or children out playing in the area were caught up in an explosion. It was an entirely reckless act. “This appears to have been a deadly, anti-personnel-type weapon. Thankfully it was recovered and removed without being detonated. “The attackers are terrorising people who live in the area and preventing them from getting on with their everyday lives. “The local community, indeed Northern Ireland as a whole, want to be rid of these terrorists who are holding back communities and creating misery for the many.” Local SDLP councillor Paul Mccusker said the threat was a chilling reminder some people are still intent on taking life in the community. Secretary of State James Brokenshire added: “This shows their [dissident republicans] wanton disregard for human life, potentially putting children in danger.”